Chapter 9: The Great Congress of 1969

Congress members on steps of Dining Hall, Trinity
College, Dublin

The
Congress of that year was actually a joint congress of the British and
Irish Esperanto Associations, and was the brainchild of two people, Jeremy
Addis and Pat O’Reilly. The congress was a brilliant success. Two hundred
Esperantists participated, from the following 13 countries:

England

136

Italy

1

N.Ireland

14

Czechoslovakia

4

Yugoslavia

1

Scotland

17

France

1

Wales

4

Switzerland

1

Hungary

1

Isle of Man

1

R. of Ireland

18

Netherlands

1

Everything was well organised. It was publicised at the World Esperanto
Congress in Madrid the previous August, and also at the 52nd British Esperanto Congress in Manchester the previous Easter. Every
congress member in Manchester received an envelope with a printed

At
Dublin Airport there was a notice in Esperanto and a special information
point for Esperantists. Every congress member received a map of Dublin, a
beautiful 32-page congress book and “latest information”.

The
Inauguration and Welcome Evening was held on Friday, 4th April. On Saturday, the 5th, were the specialist meetings,
films in Esperanto, buffet and dance. On the Sunday (6th) there
were the Annual General Meeting of the British Esperanto Association,
Ecumenical Service, lectures, art and entertainment evening, etc. On
Monday, 7th April, there were excursions.

At the
Inauguration a proposal was accepted, that requested the official adoption
of Esperanto as an international language. Afterwards this proposal was
sent to the Irish government. Messrs Addis and O’Reilly welcomed the
participants on behalf of the Irish Esperanto Association, and Liam Ó
Cuirc welcomed them on behalf of the island’s Irish speakers.

One of
the participants in the Congress was Christopher Fettes, a young teacher
at the College of St Columba, Rathfarnham, who later became Treasurer and,
later still, President of the Irish Esperanto Association.